Called into Question
by Zevnen
Summary: Kai is a highly skilled Pokemon hunter. But one night her job takes an unexpected turn. Stuck in a Pokemon's body, can she learn to respect what she has hated for so long?
1. Human No More

**Called Into Question**

By _ShinobiWolf_

Chapter One: Human No More

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It had to have been the hottest night in history. The air was thick with moisture, and there wasn't a single Pokemon in sight. And that wasn't good for business.

The business of a Pokemon hunter. Two of which were out on this balmy night.

Kai nudged her sleeping partner awake.

"Hey… What's the big deal?" Lina yawned. "Did you find it?"

"No, not yet."

"Then why did you wake me up? I **was** having the best dream in the world…"

"Four eyes are better than two. And anyway, if you want your share of the profits, then you have to do your share of the work."

"Fine…" Lina stretched and picked up another pair of binoculars.

They were camped out in a forest right around some small town. Lina couldn't remember the name of it for the life of her… That's why she left most of that stuff to Kai. The sixteen-year-old brunette had an unbelievable sense of direction, memory, and fantastic aim. Lina, also sixteen and with coal-colored hair, had just enough skill to be able to hardly keep up with Kai. But as poor as Lina was compared to Kai, they were the best hunters around. They were young, but highly regarded amongst the rich Pokemon collectors. A majority of their jobs were commissioned by the high and mighty Giovanni of Team Rocket. In fact, it was one of his inferiors who trained them. He took them in and trained them as his own apprentices after a pack of houndoom massacred their village. Which is what drove their choice of occupation. They hated those beasts with a passion…

A rustle in the bushes had Kai and Lina ready with their rifles. Their backs to trees, they silently made their way closer to their target.

It was a pure white espeon. Unknowing of its pursuers, it sniffed along the ground for any nuts or berries that may have fallen off of their branches. Just as Kai had it within her crosshairs, the espeon's large ears sensed danger. It bounded off, but not before receiving a shot to one of its hind legs. Kai and Lina followed it all the way to a small cave, where it took refuge.

"No way." Lina shook her head.

"What?"

"You're not getting me to go in there… There's no way of telling how deep it runs…"

"Fine, crybaby. I'll go in." Kai knelt down and slipped into the cave entrance, which was just large enough for her to fit. As she crawled, the tunnel grew wider, eventually leading her to a room big enough for a human to stand. Just as she crawled from the tunnel, she met the gaze of her target. Kai raised her rifle. There was no way for the espeon to escape.

"You can't get away this time, you piece of trash." But no matter how hard her mind willed it, she just couldn't get her finger to pull the trigger. Kai silently swore to herself. She was too close; it was using Hypnosis on her… Kai struggled to stay awake, but sleep eventually overtook her.

xxxxx

Kai's head shot up. She was still in the cave, and there was no sign of the white espeon. She had to get back to Lina…

She felt odd. The tunnel seemed bigger than before… Just as she escaped the tunnel, gunfire tore at the ground in front of her. Lina was shooting at her?!

"Breee!!!(Lina stop! It's me!)" Kai froze. That was not her voice. Her feet weren't hers either. They were black and furry… A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but the loudest was the want to escape. She desperately ran for her life as Lina continued to fire on her.

Kai winced. A bullet had grazed her shoulder. The gunfire had stopped, but she continued to run. Her pain and confusion drove her on. Past the forest, past houses, past a barking growlithe. She could understand it. How had could she suddenly know how to understand Pokemon? She stopped at a pond to look at her reflection.

Her silhouette highlighted by the moon was that of an umbreon. The past half hour suddenly came back to her. Kai hadn't shed tears for ten years… But they now flowed freely, as her inhuman howling rose in the night air.


	2. Healing and Babysitting

Called into Question

By _ShinobiWolf_

Chapter Two: Healing and Babysitting

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            How long had it been since she had changed? She honestly didn't know. A couple of days, or maybe more. She was so hungry, and her shoulder was starting to get infected. Kai stopped in her tracks to sit and think. Her change left her dazed and confused, so organized thoughts were a rare commodity.

            She was on a dirt road, probably in the middle of nowhere. In her blind run a couple of nights ago, she never paid any attention to landmarks or road signs. There was hardly a tree to be seen for miles, so she must have been somewhere between Goldenrod City and Coperton. That wasn't very helpful, though.

            In the wild, umbreon were mostly foragers or fishers, and that was her problem. There was nothing to forage or fish **for**. Kai was starting to think destiny had something against her.

            _Feh. I can get along just fine._

Unfortunately for Kai, she was in denial, and denial wasn't a good place to be when your stomach was empty and your shoulder burned like hellfire.

xxxxx

            The pain in her shoulder vanished, but Kai knew better than that. No longer could she not feel the pain, but she couldn't feel anything else in her shoulder or most of her leg for that matter. And by now it gave her one nasty limp. She wrinkled her nose, cursing herself for not having the ability to plug it. Her shoulder was starting to stink something terrible.

            Kai happened upon a city, her only stroke of good luck in the past few days. When night came she would be able to scavenge for food, but until then she would need to rest, somewhere where people wouldn't trip over her or where stray Pokemon wouldn't be giving her any trouble. Kai entered an alleyway and sniffed the air. She was still unaccustomed to her heightened senses. New smells and sounds seemed to flood into her brain all at once. But amongst this jumbled mess, there were no signs of another Pokemon living here. Kai mentally slapped herself. She was not a Pokemon… She was **not** one of those disgusting animals… It was all one big, cruel nightmare.

            She found a dry spot behind some boxes and tried to lie down, but her injured leg gave out from underneath her. It wasn't the most comfortable position to sleep in, but she really had no choice. She hadn't the strength to get up, or roll over for that matter. Her head felt so hot, feverish almost. No, feverish definitely. Her infection must have spread into her bloodstream…

            Kai happily closed her eyes for some much needed rest.

xxxxx

            Kai tried to raise her head, but she couldn't. It hurt so badly. And her shoulder- that hurt too. But she was warm, almost cozy-like, wrapped in a blanket near a fireplace. How had she gotten here?

            She noticed a little girl sitting in front of her. Curly blonde hair framed her freckled face.

            "Daddy, Daddy, she's awake."

            A tall, well-dressed man walked into her view. Kai reluctantly let him touch her head.

            "Her fever seems to have dropped. Run and get a bowl of warm milk, and we'll see how her appetite is."

            Kai quickly slurped down the milk as the father changed her bandages.

            "Will she be okay, Daddy?"

            "The infection's gone down, but it will leave one nasty scar."

            _Not that I'm all that concerned for beauty; at least I haven't lost my leg._

xxxxx

            Kai stayed at that house for no longer than she needed. Her shoulder nearly healed and her belly full, she left after the girl and parents went to bed. Staying in that home as a pet wouldn't get her any closer to being human again. She would find that white espeon, even if she had to journey to the ends of the earth to find it.

            The streets were dark, but she had begun to master her improved night vision. She jumped when a trashcan toppled over.

            _It was only a young sneasel… _Kai glared at it with contempt before continuing on her way. Soft footfalls followed behind her. _I don't have any food, so you can just beat it._ But still the baby sneasel continued, stopping a few short feet away. He seemed to only know her general direction, and could not lock his eyes directly on her form. _So he's blind._ Kai deduced after observing his cloudy eyes. She started to walk again, but with every step she took, something pulled harder and harder at her heart. Pity? Or maybe it was guilt that made her turn back. She sighed as she lowered herself to the ground, allowing the baby sneasel to climb onto her back. At first the thought of having one of those nasty little things on her back made her skin crawl. But Kai found herself unusually relaxed when he snuggled into her fur for warmth.

xxxxx

            Kai promised herself that at the next stop they made, she would leave the young sneasel behind to fend for itself. But here she was, two days and five stops later, still with the little one on her back. Every time she tried to leave him behind, that feeling of guilt would come over her. Why was she having this feeling now? Kai had no qualms about shooting a Pokemon before, so one little sneasel shouldn't matter. Nevertheless, she continued to let him ride on her back and share her meager food finds.

            She stopped again to rest at a pond, and caught them each a fish to eat. She told the little one how she had formerly been human, minus the "Pokemon hunter" part. She seemed to be surprised that he had no fear of her.

            _I used to have a human…_ The sneasel said between bites. _But I did something wrong and he didn't like me no more._

His trainer must have abandoned him because of his blindness, Kai thought to herself. She no doubt would have done the same, had she been in his trainer's shoes. But now, for some unspeakable reason, she was telling herself she wouldn't have.

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	3. The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

**Called into Question**

By _ShinobiWolf_

Chapter Three: The Hunter Becomes the Hunted

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_It took a bit longer to update this chapter because I wanted to make it longer. Wow, I never expected to get so many reviews… My Digimon story I'm working on right now has four chapters and only nine reviews. This fic got eleven from just the first two chapters… This story is suffering from lack of a plotline, so I'm going to bring in Ash and Co. in the next chapter. At least I plan to… Though Kai will still be the main character. Thank you to **Frostweaver, Imp is Insane, RHIGHLANDERS, **and** MoonlitHaze **for the last reviews. I've never gotten this many this fast before on any of my other stories. This chapter is double the length of the first chapter, and I plan to make the next one closer to two thousand words. Thank you to everyone who reminded me to make the chapters longer. And a special thankies to **RHIGHLANDERS** for reviewing twice. I've never had a regular reviewer before._

_ Strange thought of the update: Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM?_

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_Kai-dono, where are we now?_

_In a forest._ Kai didn't mind answering Blader's question. She was just thankful that he wasn't like those children who talk a mile a minute. Kai met one of those once… When she was human, obviously. It took Lina's intervention to keep Kai from bopping the little pest on the head. But on the contrary, Blader was very quiet.

Kai named her little sneasel tag-a-long Blader. She told herself she wouldn't name it; you know the drill. You name something, you get attached to it. But using "hey you" had started to get quite bothersome.

Once he grew accustomed to her scent, he chose to follow her from behind. Blader may have been blind, but his other senses were already starting to sharpen. He kept very close, though. The further he got, the more likely he was to run into something. Sticking behind Kai was the best way to not hurt himself. Not to mention he had taken a liking to calling her "Kai-dono".

Kai stopped in her tracks, never flinching when Blader bumped into one of her hind legs. She adjusted her ears with the direction of the wind, and proved herself right.

There was a river to the west.

The foliage was getting thicker by the minute, so she put Blader on her back in order to travel faster. As soon as Blader heard the river he jumped from Kai's back.

Kai wouldn't go another step. The river must have been a popular watering hole… About a dozen other Pokemon were lined up along both banks. She could handle passing one on the street, or traveling with Blader, but to be among so many Pokemon at once… Ever since she met that Blader, a mysterious sense of guilt tagged along just as he had.

When he didn't hear Kai following behind him, Blader turned around. _What are you waiting for?_

Kai swallowed her pride and led Blader to the river bank. Or was it fear? She cautiously took a few laps, and suddenly found herself wondering the strangest thoughts. For example, whether or not Pokemon backwash… Drinking from the same source as them at the same time made her insides churn. She continued to drink, while at the same time watching Blader to make sure he didn't fall in.

She drew in her tongue as she locked eyes with a Pokemon directly across the bank from her, a houndoom. He was still drinking, but kept right on staring her down. She recognized his strong build and scarred ebony fur, but she most recognized the misshapen scar where his left eye should have been. She should know. After all, she was the one who gave it to him.

Would he recognize Kai? Though she was hardly human anymore, Pokemon have been known to sense the strangest things. He was the only target of hers to get away, before that accursed white espeon. Kai stood her ground as the houndoom slowly waded into the shallow waters, heading straight for her. She absent-mindedly thought about the scar on her stomach. A souvenir, from said houndoom. Neither one escaped from that hunt unscathed. It took nearly three weeks for the gaping cut on her stomach to fully heal.

Would she be able to fight him now? She never bothered to learn how to train Pokemon, and after her transformation she met up with no hostility whatsoever. The houndoom's fangs and claws were obviously much larger that hers, any human on earth would know that.

She was saved as a gunshot rang out into the night air.

_We'll save this for later._ The houndoom growled as he bounded the rest of the way through the water. A chill went up Kai's spine as the canine passed just inches from her side. Another shot went throught the air and Kai was brought back into reality. She frantically looked around for Blader, and found him near the forest's edge. She wasted no time trying to get him on her back. She picked him up in her mouth by the scruff of his neck and dashed into the forest. More gunfire. Just how fast was this guy? The last two or three shots grazed the trees behind her.

Pain shot through her left hind leg and she was jerked to the ground. She dropped Blader, but once he shook off the cobwebs he was fine. Kai was not, and he knew it. He could smell blood… Not much, but it stung his sensitive nose something terrible.

_Kai-dono! Kai-dono! What's wrong?_ The scent of blood scared him, and his lack of eyesight only made it worse.

_Blader, listen to me…_ Kai tried and tried, but she could not free her leg from the trap that gnashed its steel teeth into her back ankle. _I don't know how you're going to do it, but you have to run._

_ But Kai-dono, you're hurt…_

Kai saw something that she really did not want to see at that moment. The scarred houndoom from before looked down on her not with anger, but with a sort of strained concern. Though it was silent, a moment of understanding passed between the two. He picked up Blader in his strong, but gentle jaws and raced into the forest, all the while enduring the cries of a frantic Blader.

xxxxx

Kai sunk to the floor of her wire cage. The hunter was not gentle when he picked her up by the scruff of her neck and tore the trap from her leg. Neither did he care which direction the smoke from his campfire was blowing. Her eyes watered uncontrollably as the merciless smoke refused to keep away from her. It burned her eyes, her nose, her lungs, nothing was safe. The airborne ash even stung her leg, possibly torn beyond repair. She could not hold it back any longer. She exploded into a fit of agonizing coughs that burned her throat and lungs even worse. She jumped when an empty can was thrown against her cage. The hunter did not like them to make any sounds whatsoever. Yes, them. There was another with her, in a cage next to hers on the hunter's truck. A young bayleef, if she was not mistaken.

Once the hunter had fallen asleep, the two were free to talk, providing they didn't wake him up. The bayleef was, needless to say, surprised that her cellmate used to be a human.

_But, how can such a thing happen?_

_ It's… a long story._

_ I'm not sure if you've noticed, but we're in no hurry to go anywhere. _Kai laughed bitterly at the bayleef's remark.

_I used to be a hunter, as well. _The bayleef widened his eyes, but did not move. _One night I- I mean, my partner and I were after a white espeon. I don't know how it did it, but it gave me the form I have now._

_ My mother told me about the white espeon… It's supposed to be very powerfull._

_ I guess it's punishment… For killing so many Pokemon for so many years… _

_ But you seem to be adjusting well. _Kai gave him a sideways glance. _That Blader you told me of. He seems to have found a special place in your heart. Surely you are not all bad._

Kai lie down on the cold floor of her cage. How could Pokemon do this? It's like they had some sort of sixth sense that no human could ever comprehend…

xxxxx

Salty tears pooled on the cage floor. Kai did not know what to do… She had done the same things so many times before she couldn't count. But this time, when that hunter did it, she could do nothing to hold back her tears. She lost Blader, and now she lost the bayleef. How could this happen to her? She thought back on all the Pokemon lives she took. She could remember every face, every species. Before she could only remember a few, all business related of course. She could remember each and every face, before she took their lives… Blader's condition saddened her, but something about the bayleef's death struck something deep inside of her. At this point, she did not care whether or not she became human again. She had to repent for all the lives she took, somehow, someway. She would take being a Pokemon with stride, and leave her old life behind. She finally decided where in life she should be. If she could ever get out of this prison…

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	4. The Awakening

**Called into Question**

By _ShinobiWolf_

_A big, big, humongous thank-you to everyone for being so patient. I lost the rough draft for this chapter, and it didn't help that I'm flaky, or that the notebook I keep the rough drafts in is one of those tiny ones. I typed this up again real quick today, and I am very pleased to finally get it up so I won't feel as guilty anymore._

Chapter 4: The Awakening

Kai came-to with a splitting headache. She couldn't command her aching legs to move, nor could she see clearly. She could, although, roughly make out two different voices. One of which she was overjoyed to hear, and the other could have been the harbinger of pain.

"I'm assuming all of the details are in this folder as usual?"

_Lina… How long has it been?_

"Your astute senses haven't faltered. It's good to see such perceptiveness in someone with your career. It's a shame your partner isn't here to see how much your skills have… improved."

"Thank-you, Mr. Giovanni. I believe I should be getting to work now."

_Please don't leave… Lina…_

"Now, what have we here?" Giovanni leaned in closer to examine Kai's cage. Contempt was all too apparent in his voice.

_Get away from me… Or I swear, I'll claw your face clean off…_ Kai's defensive threats only left her mouth as a meager growl. Much to her disappointment, Giovanni only laughed.

"My, you've got spirit. 'Tis a shame you don't know what we do to mongrels like you, who think you have a say in how you live." He stated with fake concern. His mouth grew into a pleased smirk as he left, well out of Kai's line of sight.

_Oh, I do. I assure you, I know what's in store for me. And I can promise you… once I'm free, you'll pay dearly for every one of your sins._

xxxxx

"Sir, there's a phone-call for you." Domino handed off a cordless phone into her boss's outstretched palm.

"Giovanni here. To whom do I owe the pleasure? … Professor Nashuta? … Yes, it certainly has been a long while! Am I correct in assuming that your call is related to our little project? … I'm pleased to hear that. It's good to know that my former colleague's notes have not gone to waste, after I have been putting so much funding into this project. … Yes, I will be expecting another call when there is more progress. … Good-day to you, too."

click

"He sent the details of "Project Jaganshi" via secured internet connection." Domino pulled up a leather swivel chair and took her place at the main computer console of the room. She swiftly ran her fingers over the computer keys as if she had done it every waking hour of her life. She speedily entered the series of passwords Professor Nashuta gave her. With every click of the mouse, Domino scrolled through scores of charts, statistics, and digital photos. Giovanni gave a pleased chuckle.

xxxxx

She strained to stay on her feet. Being mentally prepared for the horrors that were to come did not lessen her pain by very much, and neither did the burning numbness coursing over her skin. But her human will would not be as easily broken as that of a pokemon.

The vaporeon before her was staring her down; Kai returned its glare. She had been hit with more than her share of ice attacks. The shock collar around her neck only added to the pain each time she was hit.

She was attacked again- Kai barely escaped that time. The blue pokemon's eyes glowed brightly, telling Kai's sensitive awareness that another attack was coming.

The vaporeon was just standing there.

Kai could hear a faint sound, like the rushing of water. She cursed when water began to flood around their feet, and especially when it began to accumulate behind her opponent. The wave grew and grew until it reached tidal proportions, crashing down over Kai's head and suspending her in an endless supply of water. She held her breath as long as she could, but her lungs eventually gave out.

xxxxx

A faint humming noise awoke Kai from her unsettled slumber. Her fur was not yet dry, and the air was chilly. Wherever she was, it felt like a refrigerator. Her crate was amongst a stack of many, with plenty of company on a journey to a place unknown to them (Kai surmised she must have been in a dirigible). Not that they were talkative… Kai's traveling companions were all still exhausted from their "breaking in" and did not have wills as unbendable as hers. They were all either sleeping, cowering, or pacing.

The humming stopped, and a slight lurch followed. They were being moored… Soon a crowd of various Team Rocket members and men in flowing white coats poured into the cargo hold and began to move the imprisoned pokemon to somewhere else.

Kai knew that there was nothing she could do to escape at this time, so she just placidly laid on the floor of her cage, conserving her energy unlike some of her other more wild companions. She kept her head up in order to take in her surroundings.

The dirigible was moored inside a giant, garage-type structure. Although, for a garage, it was oddly clean. As they left the enormous room that housed the blimp, the surroundings began to make Kai nervous. The interior of whatever building they were in had a creepy, hospital-like feeling. No… Hospitals had an occasional uplifting picture or two hanging on the wall- this place gave off a strangling feeling of sterility. Snow white walls and smoky tile made the slightest sounds echo as though they were shouted into an empty cavern.

She glanced at her injured leg. It was covered in a crude bandage that was cutting off her circulation; she easily tore it off.

xxxxx

His mind was dulled and foggy. He was able to grasp only a few thoughts, but none of them were familiar. They could have been memories… but why couldn't he remember the rest?

_One vision put him in an expansive field, dappled with millions of different kinds and colors of wild flowers. Before him was the breathtaking sight of a majestic mountain top, made of gorgeous blue rock and covered in a topping of snow._

_He stopped to gaze at the flowers with his blue-green eyes._

_A tingling feeling ran down his spine before his mind was taken to another, less peaceful location. Fire was everywhere; it singed his fur and made his eyes burn. The feeling of destruction and smell of burning chemicals heightened his adrenaline- he didn't want to be burned alive!_

xxxxx

His lungs were racked with a fit of gurgling coughs as he spit up some type of chemical water. Standing on his four legs with the adeptness of a newborn, he was aware of his new surroundings. White-clad people were rushing around, desperately trying to put out blazing fires that were engulfing many machines. His knowledge of these people was scarce; the only thing he knew was that they would bring harm to him and other pokemon. This place would have to be destroyed…

He went on a rampage, racing through crowds of similar people and psychically setting fire to anything that he thought might have been important.

xxxxx

Kai nearly jumped out of her skin when blaring alarms started to go off around her. She looked out of her cage door with interest as every scientist in the room rushed out the door while shouting various obscenities. Kai thanked the Heavens for whoever caused that distraction.

Free to work without being caught, Kai reached her paw out of the cage and began to work at the latch as best as she could, without having opposable fingers. After what seemed like ages, she heard a satisfactory click and nudged the door open.

After releasing the other pokemon, she dashed down various corridors with nary a problem. Kai raced out the front entrance and was surprised to see that there were no guards keeping watch. She was momentarily worried about what could have possibly caused such a disaster, but she was too close to freedom to look back now. The fallen autumn leaves at the foot of the tall fence were no obstruction, but her shock collar caught on the bottom links. Kai wriggled this way and that, but she was hopelessly caught.

An overpowering presence ceased her struggling. Peering up from her vulnerable position, she was greeted with the sight of a pokemon she had never seen before; a large, dog-like being with pure white fur. His eyes, surrounded by black fur were a startling blue-green. He had whisker-like markings on his cheeks as well as a third, orchid-colored eye on his forehead, also circled with black.

But those two eyes- it appeared as though they could bore into your very soul.

Kai gasped and began to struggle against the fence again as the pokemon opened his powerful jaws and immediately went for her neck.

She felt a slight tug, and a spark pricked the side of her face. Her shock collar was still twisted in the fence, but it had been snapped in two and Kai was now free to pull herself from under the fence.

_Are you all right?_

He had spoken clear English to her. Well, technically it was ESP, but nonetheless, real English!

_Well, are you?_ He urged on.

_Yes, I'll be all right… Thank-you._ Kai began to limp away.

_I can heal your leg._

She looked at his stoic face, and sat down while he closed his two eyes and concentrated, making the third one glow. Her leg was healed in no time, but a jagged scar remained. She had never seen anything like him before… _What's your name?_

The dog pokemon paused, but did not turn around. He recalled one of the frantic scientists inside the building, and what he had been shouting to his inferiors.

_Jaganshi, if you must know._


	5. The Dynamic Duo

**Called into Question**

By _ShinobiWolf_

_This chapter's five words short of two thousand. Although, it hardly makes up for my sluggish update… I usually have the next chapter started when I post one, but after posting chapter four I found that I had **nothing** ready… I am completely absent-minded, and it doesn't help that I'm lazy… Yup yup, just call me "Shikamaru." Now all I need are a spiffy IQ and the power to freeze people with their shadows. I haven't even started on the third chapter of "Kumbahyah." Please don't kill me! It's just the way I am… Now I will go madly rush to update two Naruto poems and get the next chapter of "Whole Again" to Ria Cola. And hopefully keep the "Kumbahyah" fans from killing me… _

_And by the way, there's a reference to "Tales of Symphonia" in here. Be the first to point it out, and I'll mention you in the next chapter._

Chapter 5: The Dynamic Duo

_Fire was everywhere. _

_A much younger, and **human** Kai was huddled in her closet, her clothes and hair singed. _

_"Momma…" The little girl cried as she could hear eerie howls outside of her family's house._

xxxxx

Kai jerked awake, and could have sworn that she still felt flames licking at her skin. Once her mind had finally come back to earth, she shuffled out of the cave that she had taken shelter in during the last night. She wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised that Jaganshi was standing outside, drinking from a nearby brook.

_I thought you would have left by now._

Jaganshi lifted his head and looked at her. _I don't have anywhere else to be._ He walked up to Kai and looked at her with his bright blue-green eyes. _Besides, this white espeon you told me of seems to be wise. I have no idea what to do with my life. Perhaps this espeon will have some answers for me._

_Okay then. Let's go._

_What… now?_

Kai started to walk away. After her experience seeing the young bayleef killed, she thought it best that her past as a human was left unsaid. Jaganshi would be no exception. _You told me yourself that you wanted to join in my little journey, and I'm going now. But first, I need to find a friend of mine that got left behind when I was caught by Team Rocket. _When Kai was out of Jaganshi's sight, she smiled. As she grew used to her not-so-new-anymore form, she could feel a bit more of her old self seep into her personality. The old Kai liked to take charge.

Jaganshi stared after her for a moment, before hesitantly following.

xxxxx

Muddy water splashed everywhere as Kai and Jaganshi ran to find shelter from the spontaneous rainstorm. Kai suddenly stopped, and her companion nearly fell over trying to not collide with her.

_Why did you stop?_

One of Kai's ears twitched. _Do you hear something? _

Once Jaganshi concentrated, he could faintly hear what sounded like a child crying for her mother. The two glanced at each other before following the quiet cries to a tall pine tree that offered only meager shelter from the rain.

There, huddled cold and damp under the outspread branches, was a little human girl who couldn't have been more than five or six years old. The girl looked up from sobbing into her folded arms. Her frightened brown eyes grew even larger when she saw two pokemon in front of her that she did not recognize. And although neither Kai nor Jaganshi was a normal wild pokemon, they could still smell the little girl's fear.

Kai was not terribly fond of small children, but she was not heartless. She stood on her hindquarters in an attempt to look like she was doing a "trick." If she appeared more tame, perhaps the girl would be calm enough to let the two take her home. Jaganshi followed along and lie down, wagging his tail and panting like any domesticated house-dog would do.

_There's no need to be frightened. _Jaganshi spoke to the girl through ESP. _We can take you home._

The girl's wonder at hearing a pokemon speak English outweighed her fear, and she began to cautiously stroke Jaganshi's head. _Get on my back, and I'll carry you home._

The little girl didn't bother to question why a pokemon could talk, and climbed onto the dog-pokemon's back. Three feet at his shoulders, he could carry the girl with little hindrance.

_Can you still follow her scent back to where she came from? The rain may have washed all traces of it away… _Kai asked her companion as they raced alongside each other.

_The trail is weak, but it's nothing my heightened senses cannot handle. _Jaganshi smirked at her before concentrating on the damp air on the path ahead.

The trail led them to a small neighborhood with only a few houses.

"There it is, there it is! I'm home!"

Jaganshi stopped in front of the house the girl pointed to and let her off of his back. He smiled as the girl ran to the front porch, and Kai glanced at a sign posted at the shoulder of the road.

_Cedartown Orphanage_

Kai earned a puzzled glance from Jaganshi as she dolefully crept to one of the windows and peeked inside. He came up beside her and looked in as well, wondering what made her so silent. The companions watched as the girl was greeted with the thankful arms of adults not her parents, and sat down to a hot dinner with other children who weren't her brothers and sisters.

xxxxx

_Little Kai clung to the charred remains of her stuffed pidgey. _

_After her village had been massacred by wild houndoom, she was whisked away to the closest orphanage. Another girl her age walked up to her and sat by her side. Kai had seen the girl on occasion, for they were neighbors when they still had families. They had been no more than acquaintances, though; just a pleasant "hello" here and there. _

_"My name is Lina. Do you want to eat dinner with me?"_

xxxxx

Feeling as though they had accomplished something, Kai and Jaganshi continued on their journey.

xxxxx

"Hey! Get back here!"

A street merchant yelled in fury as a loaf of his finest, fresh-baked bread was snatched up by a sleek, thieving ninetails.

The farfetch'd had looked innocent enough… He was so pitiful with his stunted wing that the merchant felt a tug at his heart to give the handicapped little pokemon a scrap of his day old bread.

No sooner had he given up the stale crust than a ninetails dodged behind him and snatched up a decent-sized loaf of bread. The farfetch'd had apparently used his handicap to earn pity from the merchant, distracting him so the duck-pokemon's partner-in-crime could steal the good stuff.

Having already eaten the stale bread by then, the farfetch'd tore off as fast as his webbed feet could take him.

xxxxx

It had been four short days since Kai and Jaganshi had found that little girl. It seemed like forever since Kai and Blader had been separated, but Kai retraced her steps to the best of her ability. When she had been captured, the pokemon hunter had taken very remote back-roads, but she still felt as though she was headed in the right direction.

They happened upon an average-size city, and were at present about to eat some stale bread they had salvaged out of a trashcan.

Suddenly, they were bowled over by a four-legged pokemon; which was a ninetails to be exact, carrying a loaf of bread in its mouth.

Before Jaganshi or Kai could react, a farfetch'd with a crippled wing grabbed their bread in his bill and made off with his agile friend.

They were too hungry to search for more lunch. Kai and Jaganshi leaped to their feet and sprinted after the thieves. The ninetails and farfetch'd made it all the way to the outskirts of the city before they split into opposite directions.

_I get the fast one!_ Kai called as she raced after the sprinting fox.

Jaganshi stopped and stared after his companion-in-travels. Turning his head the other way, he could still see the farfetch'd off in the distance; and for a thief, he wasn't making very good time. Jaganshi sighed before patiently trudging after his handicapped prey.

Kai followed the ninetails into another forest, opposite the one they had taken to get to the city.

_That little lady's still following me…_ The ninetails dodged through bushes in random directions, hoping to throw Kai off his trail. As he ran along the bottom of a small drop-off, he was pleased to not see the umbreon anywhere behind him.

Unbeknownst to the ninetails, Kai was running along the top of the drop-off, out of his sight.

She picked her moment, and leaped for all she was worth.

The ninetails skidded to a rough stop, dropping his stolen bread in the process. He shook himself off, and stared at Kai with new interest. She was not fond of the new look on his face.

_My friend has your lunch, so why chase after me? Couldn't resist a pretty face, my Little Lady?_ The golden fox-pokemon winked at her, his voice growing sly at the end of his last sentence.

Kai had seen his type before in humans, and she was amused to find out that the two species had so much in common.

The ninetails, his front legs covered in black and pink arm warmers, a white headband over his forehead, standing in all his narcissistic glory, was a womanizer.

_Don't be flattered. You were the faster target, so I assure you that it was only a pride thing; and about your friend? I'm sure my own partner has met up with him by now._

_Zelos, Zelos! Make him put me down!_

The two four-legged pokemon looked to the side, and they both immediately sweat-dropped.

The farfetch'd was still holding onto Kai and Jaganshi's stale bread (now in one of his webbed feet), while being held haphazardly but carefully in Jaganshi's powerful jaws. The dog-pokemon dropped the duck unceremoniously to the ground.

_Watch it, Wise Guy! We stole that bread fair and square! We've been the most notorious thieves around here for years; don't mess with us! _The farfetch'd ruffled up his feathers in an attempt to look mighty, but he failed miserably.

_It's not worth the trouble, Nemo._ Zelos dropped his voice dejectedly.

_But Zelos! What about-_

_This one loaf will have to do for now. Let them have the other one back. _Zelos picked up the whole loaf he had dropped (when Kai tackled him), and walked off. Nemo hesitantly followed.

Kai watched them disappear into the brush, but she turned her attention back to Jaganshi when he dropped a portion of the stale bread in front of her.

_We should eat before we are delayed by anything else._

Kai gave him a small smile, before joining him for lunch.

xxxxx

Kai had been lying down, staring at the stars, when a loudly quacking bundle of brown feathers flew onto her face. She swiped it away. Once she realized who it was, the alarm dropped from her face and was replaced with annoyance.

It was "Nemo."

_What do you want now?_ Kai demanded, as Jaganshi came over to see what the commotion was all about.

The duck-pokemon's chest was heaving. _Zelos needs help! He was caught in a trap, and if he doesn't get out soon, he'll get shot!_

Kai processed that thought, quickly.

_You two were bound to get caught sooner or later. You're partners-in-crime, so why don't you help him? _To think, they had the nerve to rob them, then turn right around and ask for their help.

Nemo brandished his crippled wing trying to draw too much attention to it. _Do I look like I can? I'm good for distracting victims by pulling at their heartstrings, but I'm not good for much else! _He took a calming, but hurried breath. _Look, I'm sorry we made your day such a hassle… but if you help Zelos, I promise we'll give you a good reason why we're stooping to thievery. Please… Zelos is too handsome to die…_ Nemo emphasized his last sentence by bowing humbly.

Kai had gone from taking _innocent_ pokemon lives to _saving_ the lives of pokemon who were _less than deserving_.

The three ran to the fox-pokemon's rescue, Nemo giving directions while riding on Kai's back to make the trip faster.

Zelos was pulling desperately at his leg, caught in a trap of simple metal jaws. His hind ankle was bleeding profusely and his pulling was putting it at an odd angle. He yipped and whined no matter how little he moved his leg.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Next Chapter: Zelos and Nemo, the Noble Thieves_


End file.
